Because such a wonderful time was had by all during last year's Holiday Traditions Exchange, I'm putting it on again! Read on to find out how to sign up.

As soon as Amelie realized that I had placed the blanket in the warm sunbeam, she arranged herself in the scene and fell asleep within three seconds. She didn't mind a bit that I was busily arranging things on top of her.

I've unpacked some handmade cheer from last year's holiday traditions exchange that I've been meaning to share with you for a while now. It was such a joy to put together my two packages (one went to Emily and the other "unofficial" swap made it to Amanda and family. Pictured above are the goods I received from the Soule family - a quilted hot pad, a bird ornament that came in a lovely fabric bag, a granola recipe and a description of how their family celebrates the Winter Solstice. Everything is ridiculously lovely, thoughtful, and cozy, in the pure Soulemama style we all love so much.

My official holiday traditions exchange partner, Emily, also put together a drool-worthy package. First and foremost, she included one of her signature aprons (which I wore all day yesterday, by the way ...)

Also included - a holiday music CD, several festive recipes including one for Italian zeppole (fried doughnuts - yum!) and the adorable fabric ornaments below:

I already have some ideas brewing for this year's exchange ... I can't wait until Mr. Bah Humbug goes off to class so I can put on some holiday music and get this season rolling!

What is the Holiday Traditions Exchange?

The Holiday Traditions Exchange is a swap that incorporates craft, cultural sharing, and thoughtful reflection
about what the holidays mean to your family. It’s an opportunity to
celebrate all that is non-commercial in this holiday season – and an
opportunity to adopt a new, fun tradition for your family’s holiday
repertoire.

How can I participate?

Send an email to holidaytraditionsswap@gmail.com. I will pair you with one
swap partner. You will send your package to your partner, and this same
partner will send a package to you. Hopefully, you will make a new
friend in the process!

To your partner, you will send:

1.)
One handmade holiday decoration. Decorations made from any kind of
medium are acceptable – from fabric to yarn, paper to paint.

2.) Your family's favorite holiday recipe.

3.)
A “Tradition” Tutorial. This is description of one of your family’s
special holiday traditions. If needed, you should provide step by step
instructions. (For example, if your family makes graham cracker candy
houses each year, you would provide more concrete instructions.) You
might also consider sending along a couple of photos of the tradition
in action, or perhaps the materials needed to re-create the tradition if it is craft-related.

In addition, you
could send a mix CD of your favorite holiday tunes, or a special book
that is a seasonal classic in your family. Feel free to go above and
beyond the three requirements, but please don’t skimp! When putting
together your package, think about the kind of package you would
like to receive. The backbone of this whole exchange is that it should
be meaningful and come from that tender place close to your heart.

Are you in?? Send me an email at holidaytraditionsswap@gmail.com. No need to include
your mailing address – once you receive your partner’s name, you can
exchange your address with them directly.

The sign up deadline is Sunday, November 9th. Last year we had over 250 participants, so I will be trying to send out partner email notifications every day or so in order to avoid a major pile up come November 9th - the sooner you sign up, the sooner you will receive your partner. You will receive an email from me with your partner’s name and email.
It is then your responsibility to contact your partner, introduce
yourself, and exchange mailing addresses.

Packages must be sent out by Saturday, December 13th. If
you are sending internationally, you might want to aim for an earlier
mailing date. But wait!!! Before sending your package, be sure to take
pics and post them to the Holiday Traditions Exchange Flickr Group!

I
look forward to your emails, and I sincerely hope that this exchange
will, in some way, make your holiday season a little merrier!

Much warmth,

Meg

P.S. You can add the Holiday Traditions Exchange button to your sidebar by copying the following HTML code:

Comments

holiday traditions exchange

Because such a wonderful time was had by all during last year's Holiday Traditions Exchange, I'm putting it on again! Read on to find out how to sign up.

As soon as Amelie realized that I had placed the blanket in the warm sunbeam, she arranged herself in the scene and fell asleep within three seconds. She didn't mind a bit that I was busily arranging things on top of her.

I've unpacked some handmade cheer from last year's holiday traditions exchange that I've been meaning to share with you for a while now. It was such a joy to put together my two packages (one went to Emily and the other "unofficial" swap made it to Amanda and family. Pictured above are the goods I received from the Soule family - a quilted hot pad, a bird ornament that came in a lovely fabric bag, a granola recipe and a description of how their family celebrates the Winter Solstice. Everything is ridiculously lovely, thoughtful, and cozy, in the pure Soulemama style we all love so much.

My official holiday traditions exchange partner, Emily, also put together a drool-worthy package. First and foremost, she included one of her signature aprons (which I wore all day yesterday, by the way ...)

Also included - a holiday music CD, several festive recipes including one for Italian zeppole (fried doughnuts - yum!) and the adorable fabric ornaments below:

I already have some ideas brewing for this year's exchange ... I can't wait until Mr. Bah Humbug goes off to class so I can put on some holiday music and get this season rolling!

What is the Holiday Traditions Exchange?

The Holiday Traditions Exchange is a swap that incorporates craft, cultural sharing, and thoughtful reflection
about what the holidays mean to your family. It’s an opportunity to
celebrate all that is non-commercial in this holiday season – and an
opportunity to adopt a new, fun tradition for your family’s holiday
repertoire.

How can I participate?

Send an email to holidaytraditionsswap@gmail.com. I will pair you with one
swap partner. You will send your package to your partner, and this same
partner will send a package to you. Hopefully, you will make a new
friend in the process!

To your partner, you will send:

1.)
One handmade holiday decoration. Decorations made from any kind of
medium are acceptable – from fabric to yarn, paper to paint.

2.) Your family's favorite holiday recipe.

3.)
A “Tradition” Tutorial. This is description of one of your family’s
special holiday traditions. If needed, you should provide step by step
instructions. (For example, if your family makes graham cracker candy
houses each year, you would provide more concrete instructions.) You
might also consider sending along a couple of photos of the tradition
in action, or perhaps the materials needed to re-create the tradition if it is craft-related.

In addition, you
could send a mix CD of your favorite holiday tunes, or a special book
that is a seasonal classic in your family. Feel free to go above and
beyond the three requirements, but please don’t skimp! When putting
together your package, think about the kind of package you would
like to receive. The backbone of this whole exchange is that it should
be meaningful and come from that tender place close to your heart.

Are you in?? Send me an email at holidaytraditionsswap@gmail.com. No need to include
your mailing address – once you receive your partner’s name, you can
exchange your address with them directly.

The sign up deadline is Sunday, November 9th. Last year we had over 250 participants, so I will be trying to send out partner email notifications every day or so in order to avoid a major pile up come November 9th - the sooner you sign up, the sooner you will receive your partner. You will receive an email from me with your partner’s name and email.
It is then your responsibility to contact your partner, introduce
yourself, and exchange mailing addresses.

Packages must be sent out by Saturday, December 13th. If
you are sending internationally, you might want to aim for an earlier
mailing date. But wait!!! Before sending your package, be sure to take
pics and post them to the Holiday Traditions Exchange Flickr Group!

I
look forward to your emails, and I sincerely hope that this exchange
will, in some way, make your holiday season a little merrier!

Much warmth,

Meg

P.S. You can add the Holiday Traditions Exchange button to your sidebar by copying the following HTML code:

welcome

I'm Meg McElwee, a multi-passionate artist who divides her creative energy between fiber, paint, parenting, and the written word. Perhaps the most creative of all my pursuits is experimenting with the mixture of motherhood and art. My favorite thing to do is marvel at the world alongside my three young children, who I homeschool.
I have authored two sewing books, and taught a class on Craftsy. You can find my sewing patterns at Sew Liberated